Philippines SINKEX Canceled After Target Goes Down Before First Shot

It was to come as one of the culminations of the large exercise between U.S. forces and the Philippines along with international partners. A live fire demonstration to sink a World War II-era patrol boat, but the target sank off the west of the Philippines prior to the event commencing.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines announced today, May 5, that this year’s live fire exercise, part of the Balikatan 40 exercise was canceled. It said the plans for the MARSTRIKE component of the exercise would proceed with the forces of the Philippines and the U.S. rehearsing live fire. The exercise was to integrate ground, maritime, and air-based sensors and shooters into a combined joint fire network. It said the key elements of the training would be achieved, just not with the target.

Elements of Balikatan 40-2025 MARSTRIKE live fire cancelled

The Balikatan 40-2025 Maritime Strike target vessel sank off the west coast of the Philippines prior to the event commencing today.

The decommissioned BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19) took on water while being positioned… pic.twitter.com/ES5nriiCt1

— Armed Forces of the Philippines (@TeamAFP) May 5, 2025

The plan called for the decommissioned patrol boat BRP Miguel Malvar to be positioned offshore. Commissioned in 1944, the 184-foot vessel was the USS Brattleboro operating for the U.S. Navy till it was ordered decommissioned in 1965. The following year however she was transferred to South Vietnam during the height of the Vietnam War. The Philippines acquired the vessel in 1976 and she was finally decommissioned in December 2021.

The Philippines reports she was being positioned for MARSTRIKE today, May 5, and was approximately 30 nautical miles west of San Antonio, Zambales in the Philippines this morning. The vessel, which had been cleaned and prepared for the exercise, began however taking on water and sank at 0720 this morning before the first shot was fired. The Philippines reports no one was injured.

It was not the first live fire exercise with the countries in 2023 and 2024 conducting successful SINKEX exercises. Another exercise however planned for July 2023 also had to be canceled when the target, a tanker, broke free and grounded.

The exercise is continuing including simulated landings (Armed Forces of the Philippines)

Balikatan kicked off on April 21 being called the largest annual bilateral exercise conducted between the Philippines and the U.S. Japan and Australia were also observing in the exercise which was said to involve 14,000 military personnel from the two countries and their allies.

The exercise is scheduled to run till May 9. It is being seen as a strong show of support by the Trump administration for the Philippines.